File and fastener.



PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

0. R. SMEAD. FILE AND FASTENBR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1905.

. WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY iyzma CHARLES SMEAD, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

FI LE- AND FASTENEFLI Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed June 30.1905. Serial No. 267,752.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES RQSMEAD, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of. St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented a rew and Im proved File and Faster: er, of wlich thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to an improvement in file-wrappers for containingdocuments and also in an improved fastener desigr ed especially for usein connection with the im proved file.

The object of the invention is to securely fasten the file-wrapper,avoiding the necesr 5 sity of tapes or elastic bands; permitting fullexpansion of the file, and at the same time permitting the file-wrapperto be very readily opened and closed.

A further object of the invention is to cor.-

struct a fasteniz: g device particularly useful in conrectioi'rwith afile of this sort and capable.

of securely holding the flaps oftl1e file er gaged, at the same timepermitting the fastening to be readily manipulated.

To these ends I employ a file-wrapper having a body part and, ifdesired, two auxiliary flaps and also having two main closing-flapswhich fold one over the other, or e of the flaps, preferably the outerflap, being provided at 0 each corner of its free end with a peculiarswinging fastener which is intended removably to engage the other mainclosing-flap, thus holdin. the outer closing-flap securely in closedposition at both ends.

The invention resides in certain special features of construction andrelative arrangement of parts, which will be fully set forth hereinafterand pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyo ing drawings, which illustrateas an example the preferred embodiment of my invention, in whichdrawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the severalviews, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of thefile, showingit in 0 en position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail v1ew showin file andillustratin the fastener'thereof in closed position. Flg. 3 is a similarview, ex- 50 cepting that the fastener is in operi position;

and Fi 4 is a sectional plan view (hithe line 4 4 of ig. 2.

As here shown, the file is constructed of a back or body a, to the innerside of which is one eorrer of the with its upper and lower ends theauxiliary flaps e and f, which are intended to fold inward, as shown inFig. 1, covering the papers which lie between the reinforcin -base d andthe auxiliary flaps. At each end of the back or body a of thefile-wrapper the main or closir-g flaps b and c are arranged. Theseflaps are arranged to fold over the auxiliary flag? e and f, forming acompletely-i1? closed e- Wrapper. At each free corner of the flap b thefastening devices f are arrarged. These fastening devices are intendedto engage with the top and bottom edges of the fla c at points near theback or body a of the e. It will thus be observed that I provide acompletely-inclo'sed file-wrapper the outer closmg-flap of which isfastened to the file-wrapper. at both of its free corners, preventingthese corners from turning up and tearing and securely holding the fileclosed without the need of tape or elastics, which heretofore have beencommonly employed for this purose.

As here shown the faster ing devices fcomprise main portions f,constructed preferably of sheet spring metal and mounted on the freecorners of the flap 1) by means of eyelets or other devices which are ofsuch cor.- struction as to enab e the fastenings to swing freely betweenthe positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At its outer edge the main art fof the fastener carries a tongue whicl i is preferably integral with themain part and lies at one slde of and spaced from the same. This isshown best in Fig; 4. The tongue f according to the construction hereshown, has a diagonal outer edge which facilitates the engagement of thetongue with the flap 0. The

asteners are attached to the inner side of the flap b for the doublepurpose of faeilitatizg I their engagement with the fiapc and of givingthe file a smooth or unobstructed exterior form when closed. By movingthe faster or inward to the position shown in Figs, 2 and 4 it will beobserved that the tongue f 2 embraces the flap 0, securely holding theflaps b and 0 together. By moving the fastenirg out to the positionshown in Fig. 3 said tongue disengages the flap 0 and permits the flap bto be freely ope! ed. The diagonal outer edge of the tonguef serves notonly to facilitate its engagement with the flap 0 during the closingoperation, but it also avoids the necessity of swinging the fasteneroutwardly beyond a position of approximately forty-five degrees (45)with respect to the end edges of the file during the opening operation.

Having thus described the preferred form of my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A file-Wrapper comprising a main part or body and closing-flaps atopposite sides thereof, and fasteners'respectiveiy attached to the freecorners of the outer closing-flap and adapted to engage the inner edgeportions of the second or inner closing-flap, whereby to fasten theouter flap at each end.

2. A file-wrapper comprising a main part or body and closing-flaps at oposite sides thereof, and fasteners respective v attached to the freecorners of the outer or closing-flaps and adapted to engage the inneredge portions of the second or inner closing-flap,

whereby to fasten the outer'flap at each end,

said fasteners being attached to the inner side of the outerclosing-flap, for the purpose specified.

3. A file-wrapper comprising a main part or body, and closing-flaps atopposite sides thereof, said flaps being adapted to fold one over theother, and fasteners attached respectively to the corners of the freeportion of the outer flap and adapted removably to engage apart of thefile to hold said outer flap at each end thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES R. SMEAD Witnesses:

JOHN B. OADSON, I. C. UNDLIN.

